Daft question Formating a DVD

[tony draper]

I have a number of blank DVD+RW discs that I use for my DVD Player recorder connected to my TV,can I use these to record a loads of pickies and clips from my computed to play on another computer? I am using win7 64 pro on this machine and I cant figure out how to format the buggaa so it will accept stuff from the puter.I have done it in the past with CDs on WIN xp but I have forgotten how to do it on win7

[vulcanised]

Maybe leading you up the garden path but I don't recall ever formatting CDs or DVDs.

Just popped them in the drive and wrote to them.

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Edit - just seen your sad news and very sorry to hear about Cody. Only small comfort that he had a good life and didn't suffer a long illness.

[mixture]

can I use these to record a loads of pickies and clips from my computed to play on another computer?

Yes, but you'll need to finalise the burn, hence removing the rewrite aspect you crave.

For part II of your question, you need software that supports it (assuming your DVD drive supports that disk type, of course).

[bnt]

Not true: DVD+RW discs are not finalized, so you can still erase the whole disc later and start again. Even if they were, "finalising" closes a session on disc so it's readable by players that require it, but it doesn't make a RW disc become read-only.

I have Win7 64-bit, and a DVD+RW disc that I previously burned from an ISO image (i.e. it would normally be finalised if written to CD). I still have the option of adding more files to it and erasing it.

[occasional]

FWIW I use RW discs and have a similar problem. I have to initialize RW discs in my stand-alone DVD recorder before I can write them with my computer system.

Unfortunately I havent investigated any further, but have concluded that all the hardware which I have ever used with RW discs simply does not work correctly (and all that stuff about getting quality dics is nonsense)..

[mike-wsm]

Not sure if this helps, Mr Draper, Sir, but I have dim recollections of using Nero to do things with DVDs.

Aptly named, you need to say NO to almost everything whilst installing else it/he takes over your entire media management.

[Bushfiva]

Windows 7 will do everything you want. However, ImgBurn is free, very small, and guides you through the process very clearly.

[Loose rivets]

I'll also have a look at ImgBurn

With ordinary word files etc., I've often been perplexed when writing to any disc. Nothing seems consistent.

Now, with W7, I'm fairly reliably asked in advance how I want to prepare the disc. i.e. use it again on another machine or close it forever. When I go to withdraw it, it closes that session 'so that it may be used on another machine'

Is there any difference when using other file types like video?


Another thing: When there is an identical folder on the target DVD/CD drive, it asked if I'd like to merge the new one. Merge? Just tried it, and it was nonsense. Loads of old files left and no sine of some of the new ones. The thing is, it doesn't offer any alternative, like duplicate copies. Just take it or leave it.

[vulcanised]

Another vote for ImgBurn..

It works well and it's even friendly.